


Why Me?

by LostInQueue



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Adoption, Alzheimer’s, Candy, F/M, First Date, Fluff, Future, Games, Gen, Going Home, HEA, Hugs, Infinity War, Meditation, Modern AU, Nicknames, Past, Prince Charming - Freeform, Running Away, Teasing, accepting new parents, crappy dates, doing what’s right, labeling a whore, movie theater, present, valentines day, working at a deli counter, working at a movie theater
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-02-13
Packaged: 2019-10-03 07:52:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17280032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LostInQueue/pseuds/LostInQueue
Summary: Rey’s had her fill, working at the local grocery store, deciding instead to take up Finn’s offer to work with him at  Rebel Cinemas. There she makes a few good friends who enjoy people watching during their shift, of one in particular. That is, until she meets him.





	1. Rebel Cinema

**Author's Note:**

> This was an annoying plot bunny. Now that it’s out, I feel much better now, thank you. 😂
> 
> Welll— I decided to add to this. Can’t let these two hang like this.

[](https://ibb.co/JHZvjYb)

Working at Rebel Cinemas is a freaking blast. Rey Niima wished she listened to Finn long ago, instead of working night shifts at the local grocery store. Her only reason for not was the walking distance, and being done at some ungodly hour. Walking home was not in the cards. If she worked anywhere it would be for all hours of the day too. Not a handful of nights, scattered about, which was practically Finn’s schedule. 

It took one too many positions in the deli to change her mind for her. Behind that counter was every complaint that ever was. She would think that people by the end of the night, would have their shit together. News flash... they don’t. To make matters worse, they were usually exceptionally pissy about the day they just had. Throw in the potential of slicing off your finger, while royalty visited dressed as the common customer, and she had herself the perfect reason to ditch that hell hole. 

Her last night had her slicing every last round of roast beef, for the craziest bitch of a woman to decide on what she liked best before cutting a quarter pound. The woman forgot half way through, making snarky remarks at Rey’s set up and her ability to remember what the customer ate. 

Rey, who was known for being patient, was not. Leaving the last cut of beef on the spinner, pulling up her finger to let the bitch stand there and watch. She found the nearest roll, ripping it open, then the open mustard, followed by mayonnaise, squirting the two together onto the porous loaf. Next she walked around the deli with the roll wide open, towards the woman. Other shoppers watched as she took the slices of beef from the woman, shoved it into the the roll making it a sandwich, and placing it back in her manicured paws. “Pickles are in isle two, and drinks are in eight. Or you could go to Subway down the block if you’re just looking at giving an employee trouble.”

Rey was thankful she had her keys and flat wallet clip on her today, because it would have been awkward resetting behind the station again to find them and go. That night was her last night, ever!

Since then, she had been recruited by Finn, joining their staff, and being the most relied on for taking shifts. There always seemed to be someone who needed coverage, and she was all too willing. The job paid well enough to take stubs, sell snacks and clean up theaters afterward. 

She learned that the biggest messes, usually came from kids or horny teenagers, which seems worse than it actually was. Rey was actually the saving grace at the end of the night, suggesting a shop-vac instead of the usual broom and mop. Efficiency was her game... which made the job so much more fun in the long run. 

Since the theater was always sparkling Rey found herself making friends with Finn’s buddies, Poe and Doph. Poe’s taller than Finn, and a little older too. He’s still in school handling his second major. They teased the man that he’d be in for ever at the rate that he went to school. 

“It’s required these days to even be looked at by NASA,” Poe explains.

“I thought you had to be a pilot,” Doph interjects. 

Poe nudges his friend, “I am a pilot...”

“But you work at a movie theater,” says Finn.

“Some pilot,” Doph teases, he could be relentless if he didn’t stop early. 

“I’m between classes. There’s no way I could do flight lessons and school.”

“Yeah, yeah...” Finn rings up a couple going to see the latest dinosaur film. 

“You ever take anyone up?” Rey has the courage to ask.

“Just students... not dates. It sounds like an awful way to die.” He throws his voice, representing himself as an officer of the law, “Couple found indisposed...”

“Okay!” Rey intervened trying not to allow the children approaching to get an earful of anything Poe had to say.

Doph, on the other hand, just started his junior year in college. Undecided. No major. No idea what he was going to do... just going because his parents posed an ultimatum. School or move out. He had the summer to decide... and that’s how he wound up with this goofy little job. It paid well enough as part time jobs went, and he got to people watch which he rather liked more than the his buddies. 

“Think about it. Everyone that comes in is here for a reason,” he started speaking. 

“To watch a movie?” Poe’s smart mouth knocked Doph off guard. 

He side-eying his friend, Doph continues, “Yeah—smart ass. But like, more than that. Kids having birthdays, parents dying for a night off, people traveling alone or in groups, friends who have or haven’t seen each other in years, dates— god the first dates are so hard to watch.”

“That reminds me, has anyone seen Miss Netal yet?” Finn asks, leaning on is forearms on the counter. 

“Who’s that?” Rey asks. 

All of the guys cover their mouths with one hand and their chests crossing both arms, one over the other. No one spoke a damn thing about her, not while she was on the premise. It was almost like she had the place bugged, or the crowd was a stand in, wired, and ready to report on anyone that gave her a bad name. 

As the woman approached the door, she was escorted by a stacked man, obviously some gym buff, who clearly didn’t understand that winter in the north was actually cold. The man had shorts and a wife beater on too, probably supposing that he fancied his muscles more than his brains. She, however, had a fuzzy white coat on, Rey hoped was faux fur, but after the bullshit she put her through at the deli, Rey supposed it was not. Her kind was more interested in the finer status items, and faux anything, was ultimately degrading to a woman like Miss Netal. 

Rey ducked down as she approached the desk, waiting for the man who she walked in with to order tickets, to order from someone else. Finn was the lucky one this time. The woman looked over her friend with such scrutinizing eyes, first practically seeing into his soul until he flinched, sure she was trying to possess him. Next, her gaze fell to his lips, despite the man next to her. She practically undressed Finn with her eyes, appreciatively, pouting when she couldn’t see past the desk. Finn’s foot taps nervously as the card is processed and their tickets are printed, thankful for the L shaped corner desk now blocking her view as she turned to check out his ass. 

“I hate that woman!” Finn grit out through a whispered whine. 

“It doesn’t seem that you’re alone,” Doph teases, helping Rey up. “Why’d you disappear anyway? You’re not a guy...”

“I had enough of her shit at the supermarket and flipped out at her. I’m one more snide comment away from slapping her, and I actually need this job,” Rey squeaks out. 

The guys all gape at her, needing the details. 

“Let’s just say, I now understand she’s particular about her beef.” The guys howl with laughter, promising that she doesn’t know the half of it. 

Over the coming month and a half Rey’s learned about how to set up props, fix soda machines, learned all of the codes on the registers, and how to draw the longest straw when having to avoid the last theater Miss Netal visited with her latest piece of meat. It’s no real strategy actually. The guys don’t seem to know that she can see how their hands twitch to try to hide the longest straw, or how they try to keep the shortest in the center. 

Rey’s had enough practice with this, being that the woman was here with a new guy every night, sometimes even twice a night. Each time ogling Finn, and if he wasn’t there, Doph got the praise from the devil herself. 

“Have you gotten into Psychology yet, Doph?” Rey asks. They’ve had so many conversations about this woman and how she’s either some basket case nymphomaniac, or if maybe it’s to fill some strange void—correcting Poe time and again that the void would not be her cunt. Though some would argue that it may be the only way she can act normal. 

Several times it came up that maybe she just needed a good dildo... but the guys helped point out that real and willing was far better than a piece of silicone that promised she wouldn’t spread any more STDs.

“It’s just eliminating the ‘dumb fucks’ part of the population,” said Poe restocking the candy behind the snack counter. “Think of it this way, Rey. She’s making the world a safer place for girls like you...”

“Do you not hear your logic? That is the opposite of what’s happening here!” Rey raises her voice. “I swear to God, you can be an idiot sometimes.” Tonight, Rey has been put on garbages, which solidified her a spot in avoiding straw pulling all together. However, being Valentine’s Day, meant a whole lot more garbage. This had Rey pulling bags after every showing in every theater of the twelve rooms in their cineplex. 

It was fine. Everything was fine. Between the times getting everyone their tickets, snacks and waiting for movies to come to an end, the four found themselves playing at the candy stand. Usually, they’d play on quieter nights, but every show was rolling. Who was really going to hear them? 

The candy bar looked similar to a soda fountain with cylinders filled with assorted pieces of processed sugar in each one. Theirs had eight different choices, ranging in different types of candy coated chocolate pieces, to gummy bears, to fruity pieces as well. Tonight’s game was simple—just a game of toss and catch. The only stipulations were that someone else had to toss for the next person, and if that player missed the catch, in their mouth, they would be disqualified.

Matches were dangerously competitive. The first one out paid for the match. It was serious. As the night progressed, they would stop, handle their posts, and get back to playing. Rey has to admit, this was a good one, despite being romantically alone for this Hallmark holiday. Just the thought made her frown and turn towards the ticket counter. 

A very large man in a long trench coat stood waiting for assistance, staring up at the times. The man is tall, broad, and scruffy looking, most likely from the wind outside. The weather did say there would be some stronger gusts this evening following last night’s storm. He stands before her looking at her curiously. His dark brown eyes are hypnotizing. Suddenly, Rey’s exceptionally thirsty. Her tongue darts out to atleast wet her lips, keeping them from showing the obvious desire he’s putting her through.

Doph heads over to handle his purchase when Rey gets smacked in the side of her head with a peanut M&M. 

“Ow! Did you really just throw the hardest one you could find?” she whines squatting to pick it up. 

“Rey’s buying this round!” calls Finn, trying to hide the fact that it was him. 

“Oh! I don’t think so, Sprinkles!” She called back.

“Sprinkles?” asks Poe for clarification.

“We went for ice cream at Cold Stone, and he literally had a pound of sprinkles on his ice cream—I’m not even sure there was ice cream in your bowl...” she snorted. 

Doph accepts the nickname, calling for Sprinkles to restart. 

“Fine...” Finn waits for everyone to be paying attention before lobbing one to Rey. 

She squeaks in surprise at the short drop, trying to get under it. Dropping to her knees in what smells like a butter spill, she still catches the orange gummy bear between her teeth. She raises her hands high above her head as the guys give an appreciative cheer.

“Don’t throw it at the ground, Sprinkles,” Poe complains. “Or you get to pay for the round.”

“It’s not on purpose. They were two bad shots. And who knew a gummy bear couldn’t fly?” Finn retorts. 

The sound of theater doors swinging open pause the round, calling everyone back to their posts. Both Poe and Rey make it through every row, in the four opened rooms, pulling garbages, just to run into Miss Netal. Rey almost vomits as she puts on her innocent face calling her next victim, Rey’s sure of it. Doing her best not to bother with the bitch, or even pay attention to her at all, she over hears the woman say that she’s running late, and will have to see him for the next showing. “Nine forty? Alright, baby. I’ll see you then.”

“Hey, you ok?” Poe startles Rey from eavesdropping. 

“Oh, right...” she shifts her attention to the next few bags. Poe helps grab the last two to walk to the dumpster. “I just... I don’t get it.”

“What don’t you get?” 

“That woman. I’ve never seen half the people she brings in and we never see them again. I don’t think she’s part of some crazy sex killing spree or anything, but don’t you think it’s weird that she is so comfortable coming to the same theater and doing this shit?” Rey asks as she hurls the first bag in. 

“Well, yeah, but we can’t really get involved. It’s her personal life...”

“That we get to watch unfold. How would you feel if some group of kids watched you —-you know?...”

“Rey. You’re not watching...”

“But we have to draw straws to avoid cleaning where she’s been... God! I don’t even want to be here during the early afternoon shows!” she hisses as they walk back to the doorway. 

Poe laughs a little too loudly about it, calling attention to themselves and Rey uses him as a shield on the way back into the lobby. “Do you really think she can see you? Ow!” He reacts to Rey elbowing him in the side. 

“What happened to you to?” Doph asks, “You put a hold on our game!”

“Rey’s afraid of —“

“Shut up,” Rey complains.

“The bitch?” Doph finishes, “I think we all are. Well, the intelligent people are,” he swivels his finger around their group to indicate he only meant them. 

“She called some poor schmuck telling him she would be late... like what she’s doing is normal,” Rey grumbles in frustration. “I’d love to know who the next mark is...” 

“Wait, we need a code word, if we’re going to continue this...” Finn suggests.

“Alright, Sprinkles...” Poe quips. “What about fluff? I’ve seen the way she looks at you...Sprinkles would stick right to it.”

Finn actually throws up. 

“Oh! Oh my God,” Doph whines. “You can clean yourself up.”

“Fluff is not the word,” Finn assures them.

“What about cunt?” Doph follows up. 

“Kids, you idiot...” Poe replies. “What about...”

“How many times has she been in here?” Rey asks. 

“Too many” is the response of all three. 

“Can we calculate it?”

“You want to call her a number?” The guy’s laugh, Poe continues, “Now serving number three hundred and two!” 

Doph slaps his hand on the candy counter, “This night is killing me!”

“I think she’d get it at some point, don’t you?” Finn wonders. “What about a standard number? One she hasn’t gotten to yet?”

“If she’s been in here—let’s start from when Rey started to now... say twice a day for the last two months,” Doph starts calculating.

“No, four... she been here for four.” Finn corrects him.

“Okay, four. Let’s say thirty times four is one twenty, times two, we’ve got two forty. Geez! That many already,” he questions his math.

“Yeah and we’re not even adding weekends or matinees,” adds Poe. 

“Excuse me while I hurl, over the crusty karat!” 

Everyone drops everything. Poe, Rey and Finn stare, openmouthed at Dopheld who does not seem to understand that he just labeled the whore. He turns back to his silenced friends, asking, “What?”

“You fucking win,” answers Poe.

“Okay, but we can’t just openly say it...”

“What about CK?” offers Finn. They all nod in agreement, waiting to get to see who gets to unveil it to her. The poor bastard that would show up would think they were a mixed bag of teenagers spouting out two letters constantly, but who would give a fuck? They could finally converse openly about it. 

Rey, now positioned with Finn groaned about having another four hours before it was time to go. 

“Why? Don’t you love us?” Finn strikes up a conversation with her. 

“I do, but your crappy throw landed me in a butter mess on my knees and every time I move I want to barf. I smell like curdled milk, and salt. Really, the only thing I want to do is take a shower.” Rey silences herself when the large man returned to the counter. She took in his chiseled features, concentrated eyes portraying both a coolness and warmth she could t quite understand. His nose, long and proud, she could help but want to lean in and draw the top of hers down the side of his. She blinks at him, trying to sober up her unrealistic daydream, when she finds his lips. It’s all she can focus on. His voice is deep, drawing her in. His slightly crooked teeth show that he is still human, and not some God that came down from Mount Olympus. Though she was sure she would need to read up on them. Surely she missed one. 

“Miss?” He gathers her attention again, watching the blush take over her skin.

“Oh. I...I’m terribly sorry. What did... what um... what?” though she tried her damnedest, she could not make a sentence. Rey looked first back up to his eyes, noticing the rain droplets sprinkled over his shoulders. His trench coat seemed to bead them like sequins over them and down his chest, making it impossible for her eyes to not flit back down him at every possible chance. 

“I came in earlier for tickets to a show... and have to make a change to the time.”

Had she have been paying attention, she would have known this was probably number two forty one, but she couldn’t get past the fact that this Goliath of a man was speaking to her, let alone wanting her aid. ‘It’s not like that!’ she admonished herself. The man just needed her services to change the time. This shit happened all the time. Has nothing to do with her personally. Besides, he was obviously here waiting for someone else, as indicated by his now wilting flowers. 

“Yes. Okay, I can help you with that,” she tries to be causal, then asking next if she could offer him a cup for his flowers until the next show. As the man nodded she printed his tickets and asked Finn to get a cup. 

“Thirsty?” Finn snickers, walking behind her to retrieve the item. 

“Watch it, Sprinkles,” she mutters, trying to keep it casual. “So, what are you here to see?” she tries to ask, since he’s still looming around the counter. 

The man looks at her as if she had three heads, wondering why she asked. “Infinity War,” he gives his answer curtly. 

“Oh, I haven’t seen that one yet. Tell me how it is? Yeah?”

“Tell you how what is?” Finn popped back behind her.

“Infinity War,” Rey answered. “I liked that Thor movie.”

“What for the dude?” he teases.

“No... I’m not CK,” she whined, jabbing him with her right. The man just looks at her. “Valkyrie—the woman. I liked her... she’s a badass. And the way they did the lightning when Thor figured out his natural power.”

The man furrows his brow, adding that he quite enjoyed the hulk being a punk. After which the man smiled.

Rey’s eyes felt like they widened far more than necessary at the gift of a smile this man had. All of a sudden she felt the compelling need to introduce herself, “I’m Rey,” she practically panted, offering her hand to the man to shake his. If he allowed her of course. When he grasped it, she shuddered an obvious breath, wrecking her nerves entirely, listening to him pronounce his own name. It takes all of her strength not to moan at the sound. Never in her life did three letters sound so rich together. “Ben,” she mirrors, clearing her throat, she adds, “Nice to meet you.”

Finn snickers adding, “I’ve never seen you like this,” to which he gains her glare.

“This is Sprinkles, over there with the wavy black hair is Poe, and that’s Doph,” she says, trying to welcome him in. Maybe he would stay and forget about whoever he was here to see. 

Ben nodded to each one, thanking her for the cup, gathered his flowers and went to sit down at a bench near the door. 

“Did I say something wrong?” 

“Besides calling me Sprinkles? You came the fuck on to a guy that was waiting for a date,” Finn teases her. “What if he’s married—surprising his wife?”

“To see ‘Infinity War?’” Rey deadpans.

“Husband?” 

Rey groans awaiting the next influx of customers looking to go to the next showing. Poe joins them in the front to help. The three conversing about Rey’s crush, stop talking abruptly. 

Poe uses his usual pilot radio speak to promote the nickname, saying, “CK is approaching. Stand by for visual on the target.”

Finn and Rey both smirk, handling customers left and right, when she sees Ben stand. He looks at his phone and then up at the window, supposing the woman approaching the theater is there for him. “Oh my God, Ben is CK’s next target...” she mutters to Finn.

“Poor bastard,” he whispers back. 

She watches as this train wreck continues to unfold before her eyes. He tosses the cup of water in the waste bin next to him, and she dies a little. Rey tries to remind herself that Finn actually got the cup, so maybe she could be okay. Maybe that would stop it from stinging. But then he goes out to approach CK. She watches as another, burly man comes up by her side, and she openly looks Ben over, as if she had to choose who she’d rather ride out tonight. Her heart breaks for him when he tosses the flowers in the waste bin outside the door, and hurried off into the poorly lit parking lot. 

Rey flings herself over the barrier, shoving through the crowd calling after him. She slams through the doors calling his name once more as a gust of wind pushes her narrow frame a few steps to the right. She peers into the basket, seeing a toy heart shaped pick, and remembered it was that dreaded Valentine’s Night. She wondered how long they had been talking. How much he shared with her, since, obviously he wasn’t open to everyone. Not even herself, who actually gave a damn. 

Her voice carried over to him, stopping the man in his tracks. He hears her call him again, but stands motionless, figuring there wasn’t any way that any woman would want anything to do with him since Bazine didn’t. She was the cream of the crop. Beautiful, sophisticated...confident... and clearly not as interested in him as he was her. 

It isn’t until Rey has made it out to him, her teeth chattering, and stuttering every last word she tries to make. The girl is obviously freezing. He goes to remove his jacket to give it to her instead of answering her question. 

“Do? Do you want to still see the movie? I—“ she whines at the cold as he motions for her to slip her arms through. “Thank you. Can we go back in?” She’s knocked forward again by the strength of the wind. “It’s freezing... probably the o-o-nly place I-I don’t smell liiike a regurgitated movie theater... but it’s c-cold.”

With that, he escorts her back in, sitting down at the couch he was at just before, while she tries to warm up. She yawns, “I-I usually only do th-that when I’m cold. It’ssss like my body’s shutting d-down or something,” she admits. 

Ben quietly asks if he can help. At her nod, he draws her into a hug. The man is solid. Even being outside without his coat, he seems to radiate heat that she could never obtain on her own. Rey closes her eyes absorbing all of it, until the last shake of the bitter cold leaves her system. “Ben?” She asks carefully, “You can say no, it’s okay, um... but did you still want to see that movie? I get off in an hour. And if you want, I mean... I haven’t seen it yet... and well, I know I’m not her. But maybe, if you can see past that, um... we could go?” God every word made her feel so small. 

Right when she tried to get up and retreat, he held her in place. His deep voice threatened to melt her again, “Are you asking me out as a friend? Or on a date?”

Her voice drops to a whisper, “What do you want, Ben?” she asks. 

“A date.”

“For the night or?”

“For as long as you’ll have me.”

“Why me?” she couldn’t help but ask. 

He answers with a kind smile, “Why not you?”


	2. South Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben reflects on passion growth moments, loves being accepted by Rey, and wants this relationship to be his forever.

_“Are you asking me out as a friend? Or on a date?”_

_Her voice drops to a whisper, “What do you want, Ben?” she asks._

_“A date.”_

_“For the night or?”_

_“For as long as you’ll have me.”_

_“Why me?” she couldn’t help but ask._

_He answers with a kind smile, “Why not you?”_

Their conversation echoes in his mind as she stares at him unable to answer his question right away. At first he feels like it was the sweetest thing to say to a girl he didn’t know for more than a light conversation and a few nice gestures. Why not her? It seemed like the right question to ask. 

That is, until her sweet expression turned up as to accept what he hinted to at face value. What if she thought he meant he had nothing else to loose? What if she tried to accept that she was rebounding him and hated the feeling? What if he had slighted her in some way? He could feel his face heating with every unpleasant thought until she spoke.

“Well, truthfully...I’ve never been asked that before.” Her voice seemed to raise as if her statement was a question. “So, I’m not exactly sure how to answer your question. Um,” she pauses, taking off his jacket to return to him. “Thank you, it ...I? Thank you, it’s flattering, truly.”

Her admission made he’s heart swell, in a good way, he notices it himself. Ben feels it in the way that his chest seems to expand and puff out like he gained a prize. Her complement is certainly something he’s proud of, and tries to think of more to pull out at any moment. 

“I’m still on the clock, Ben,” she gains his attention again. “But once I’m done, I can introduce you to my friends... a proper introduction I suppose, and then you can play with us if you like. I’m sure you saw it...”

“Uh, yeah,” he perks up at the thought of inclusion rather than sitting to the side like he had all his life. Whether it was with family, fair weather friends, or even girlfriends in the past, no one seemed to make him feel like he was part of anything, so the thought of it warmed him that much more. 

“Alright, I’ll,” she points behind her with both hands, “I’ll be back in about twenty minutes,” she adds. 

Ben can’t get over her small smile before she turns completely, tucking a loose tendril behind her ear as she went. As soon as Rey is out of sight, Ben pulls out his phone and deletes his Tinder account. He figures he doesn’t need it now. Besides being scrutinized on the app, he’s been left and ignored on enough dates to recreate a premise of a story for Dr. Phil anyway. He should be completely crazy by now, especially the way Bazine lead him on. 

He lets out a breath when her name rattled off in his head. Honestly, he should have known better. Especially when he found out her real name. Bazine. It didn’t have a real meaning, it was partial, he was sure that it matched everything else she said to him. 

Benjamin didn’t make sense to him either, really, when he looked it up “son of the south,” and “son of the right hand” from the book of Genesis, didn’t make sense to him as his parents never really were religious. But when he shortens it then the name means “blessed”. Again, not something he would have chosen for himself, but this girl seemed change it. She changed his night, his expectation of what might be—instead of driving all the way home in the silence of his thoughts picking apart Bazine’s rejection, he’s here with her. 

A small smile plays on his lips the more he thinks about these last few moments. How she didn’t seem to see herself as attractive as Bazine, “I’m not her,” she said, but how could she compare herself? She’s beautiful in her own right. Hell, she even ran after a complete stranger... ‘me... she ran after me to make sure I didn’t feel alone.’ He speaks slowly in his mind while his face heats up, no doubt showing the connection that he’s feeling with her now. 

Ben watches as she climbs the stairs to pull the garbage on the second level. When she disappears from sight, he actually takes in the space. While he sits on the couch—bench sort of furniture, his eyes scan around the lobby area. It’s carpeted like most of them that he’s been to are. The red is deep like the painted columns outside, and designed with printed film reels within the fabric. If he looks close enough he can recognize even the name of the cinema on the film reel itself. He supposes first, that the company must have done well for itself if it had carpet printed and made for their locations. And second that they probably opted for them to hide the dirt and spills people manage to bring in with them. His eyes manage to move up to the walls where digital screens are projecting the movies they’re showing and upcoming ones as well. The walls are roughly the same color red with accents of silver and a golden color that rib them at the floor to knee level, and then again before the ceiling which happens to be white. There’s recess lighting all the way up to the desk. He watches a patrons come in, noticing their feet seem to be on a slant which he remembers wondering why they chose to set a large gradual ramp inside at first, which was answered when he first came in. 

There is an L shape, dark brown, wooden desk holds three registers, and two kiosks where guests can print their own and go as they please. One machine had an ‘out of order’ sign attached to it, and the other seems to attract less people to it. Typically patrons wanted to speak with the staff here. Sprinkles, as Rey introduced him, is always smiling. He’s welcoming and inviting, always looking people in the eye while they’re speaking. It’s actually refreshing. 

Poe the one with the wavy black hair, sits in the next desk, ripping the tickets and letting them know where their movie will be, and Doph, is helping guests at the concession stand. Ben can’t see much of him, other than his head moving back and forth collecting goodies for movie goers. 

The next room, the one that opens up customers to their theater experience is huge. It has to be, given the two floors. It’s also not surprising, that the ceiling has been left uncovered and looks more like a warehouse than a movie theater. That, though, he wonders if it’s done for keeping the air conditioners cool, especially in the summer. 

The painting design, and the carpet, continued on into the rest of the building. An arcade is offered in a small room next to the bathrooms on the furthest wall, stairs leading up to the second floor were to the left of that, followed by the snack area, and an open space allowing guests to find their movies on the bottom floor. 

Looking at his tickets again, he wonders if theater seven is on the bottom or the top. Then he wonders where Rey would want to sit. Ben, being so tall, usually opted for the isle seats, stuffed far into the back of the room. He always cursed his legs for being so long, and never felt comfortable sitting where someone couldn’t see around him. So the back would do, so long as Rey was okay with it. 

Next, he wonders whether or not she might want something to eat and then again if she ate. She gets out at nine thirty, which really isn’t enough time to get her something to eat. It would be too late after, wouldn’t it? 

“Hey, Doph?” Ben hears Rey call over the railing, “I ran out of bags in six cans.”

“And?” he hollers back over his shoulder while helping his line. 

“Can you throw me six boxes?”

“Uh. Yeah, let me ring this one up and I’ll toss them to you.”

“Great, thanks.” Ben watches Rey shove an elbow down into the mess, wondering who put her on garbages anyway.

“One!” Doph yells, rocketing one and then the next up to her. By the fourth, he’s missed the railing twice, and gained an impatient line. 

Before he knows it Ben is at the counter, asking Doph first for his attention and then for the boxes to get them up to her without dealing with an obnoxious crowd. The young man looked thankful as he gave them over to him, calling for Rey to let her know they were coming up.

Ben gathered the boxes in one arm and made his way back into her presence. Sure it wasn’t a glorious job, but working is working, and he couldn’t ignore the fact that he loved feeling like he might have help down the line if this matured into more. That he would be able to rely on her as she could for him. “Hi,” he manages, still clutching the boxes.

Rey, who didn’t realize Ben would have put himself out there, suddenly set herself up for a double take. “Hi Ben,” she said softly, her eyes roam from his smile to his hands where he stuffed the boxes, gaining him a smile. 

Boy, he likes her smile. 

“Thank you,” she reaches for each box, tearing into a box as she nods off to where she’ll be going. Ben takes it as an invitation and walks with her. “I do this so I don’t have to pull, run and re-bag. Saves time and all...” she barely flinches as the doors swing open to a showing. Another set of doors open and her face contorts as if she’s trying to remember something. Rey hollers over her shoulder down to Doph, “CK room number?” 

No response.

“Doph, I need the number,” they both look over the edge for her coworker. “Eek!” Rey actually squeals, and it’s the cutest damned noise Ben’s ever heard, but then she shoves him. 

“What?” His deep voice gives way to his position. Doph looks at him like he’s ready to grovel at his feet for saving him. 

It’s her. 

Bazine’s eyes lock on Ben’s, and for the briefest moment she’s actually confused. A fraction of a second later she rolls her hip to the side, flattered that he waited for her despite the shitty way she treated him. Bazine made her way to the stairs starring at him as if he was dessert. 

“Ben!” Rey whisper shouts her concern. She reaches out her hand as if he’s falling off a cliff, plummeting to his death, “What are you doing?” Rey’s able to grab hold of his arm and pull him with all her might away from the railing. 

Ben was frozen in place. He came to see this woman. She had so many wonderful things to say to him. The man could live on complements alone—would trade just about anything for them, and all of them washed upon him as she stared at him. Bazine was a master seductress, he was sure of it. Just the way she could look at him and promise the world stunned him.

The moment Rey pulled him to her, it was as if he came out of hypnosis. “What? What happened?”

“She’s back,” Rey complains. 

“What’s wrong with her?” He manages to ask, certainly not meaning it the way Rey takes it. Her firm look of disgust is sobering to say the least. “Um, I should not have to recount what happened just to you before. Aside from that she’s the theater slut.”

“Excuse you?” Bazine’s voice cuts through the silence of the empty theater and now it’s Rey’s turn to freeze.

“I don’t need an excuse,” she tries to sound confident. Something about the dim lighting helps her feel like she can do this. 

“Yes, you do. No one talks about me like that,” she snaps.

A giggle slips from her widening grin. “You really don’t know do you?”

“You’re delusional, kid,” she reaches out for Ben’s arm. 

It’s all it takes for Rey to snap, letting all of Jakku City’s attitude flow through her as if she’d just been thrown back into a war over food rations. While she did not miss them, and rather enjoyed the small, quiet town of Takodana, her experience did help out tonight. 

“Do not touch him! He does not want you and the two hundred and forty one men you’ve been with in the last four months I’ve been here. No one does!”

Bazine’s brow creases trying to deny such an obvious lie. Right? She backs up with every step forward Rey takes, while she points her finger in the wench’s face. Bazine pushes through the door, gaining witnesses as the two stand off. 

“No! You don’t get to say anything.” Rey growls, “You harass my friends. We have to clean up after you and your men. You broke his heart—you ungrateful crusty karat.” 

Somehow, in their argument, Bazine has backpedaled without missing a step, not that Rey’s aware of it. The women make it past guests that watch on as this unfolds. Rey’s able to tear this woman down without using a single swear, aware of the children that are present that probably don’t need to learn the colorful slew of words she knew. 

“Honey! You have no idea what we put up with. I don’t even want to know what you’ve spilt in the fabric of those chairs. I shouldn’t have to have to clean up after you as if you’re some mutt in heat. It’s disgusting. Would you like to clean up after me? Would you enjoy that? Does it get you off? How about you do your escapades at your house? Eh?”

The women push out the door into the cold, but as heated as Rey is, she can’t feel it. Wind gusts and all, Rey stands her ground, pushing on into the parking lot where Bazine raises her hand at Rey. When she swats through the cold air at Rey, she catches her wrist, saying, “Don’t try it. Just get out and do not return. Clear?”

Bazine Nettle would not be told, coming in with a strike she believed she’d get away with, being, of course, the fact that she turned her back to Bazine. But Rey could feel her before she saw the charging lunatic. Rey side stepped, leaving her foot high enough from the ground, making her fall over herself instead.

“Stop while you’re behind,” Rey gave the wench advice that wasn’t taken, resulting in a slap that seemed to echo through the night, ricocheting off of each parked car still parked in the lot. 

Bazine looks at her as if this isn’t over, and disappears for the night.

“Hollaaaaaaa South Side!” Finn hoots his call, deepening his voice when he says South and ending on a high note as he finishes side. Doph cracks up, clapping his hands as he watches his friend bow his body backwards as far as he can without falling as he welcomes her back in from the cold.

Rey throws her pointer finger toward the ceiling, whirling it as if she were drawing a zero on it, and drops her hand just like that. She hasn’t yet noticed the crowd agape around her, instead she blinks back tears of frustration that it even happened. She’s more upset that tonight is most likely her last night for the confrontation with as many guests around as there were.

She feels Ben cradle her at her back, then another scorching hand smooths over her cheek, while his fingers tangle in her hair. Before she knows it his lips are pressed firmly onto hers. Kiss after kiss until he himself realized they were not alone. Whistles and cat calls, followed by some presumably teenage boy, yelling for the two to get a room, startle him too. 

And yet Rey faintly smiles when he pulls away, making Ben extremely nervous that he overstepped what ever this was to her. “I...I’m sorry,” he had the courage to say, “No one has ever done anything like that—stood up for me the way you just... I mean, wow....” he mumbles. “This just... it felt right.”

“It is right,” she nods slightly, “probably would be better if I wasn’t amped up and smell like a garbage dump—“

“You could roll in raw sewage, Rey, and I’d be there with a hose,” he stops when she busts out giggling. “And a kiss,” he tries to slow her down from the bubbling rage within.

“Rey?” Poe calls from behind the snack stand, not only five feet from them. He leans on it with his forearms. “Hey, why don’t you go take a shower next door at that woman’s fitness center, and get Jess to clean your uniform while you’re there?” 

“What about Ben?” she asks.

“We’re supposed to see that 9:40 show,” he adds still holding her around her waist.

“Nah man, lets get your money back for that. We can order pizzas when everyone gets out and watch up in the employee lounge.” He can’t help but giggle, “It’s the one place CK hasn’t been.”

Ben looks confused. First by the letters, and then by them knowing about Bazine’s flings too. “What’s a CK? And hasn’t been where?” 

Poe actually has to hold his mouth shut while Doph jumps in “CK is that bitch Rey just went Jakku City on. Stands for crusty karat.” He points his thumbs towards his chest, lifting his eyebrows with pride, “I named her.”

“CK though? Isn’t that CC?” Ben asks.

“No, no, no. Not like carrot like the food.” 

Finn laughs, “The food... vegetable? Is that the word you needed senior snacks?”

“Senior snacks?” Parroted Doph.

“Yeah Mr. Senile; can’t remember a carrot is a vegetable—“ he crosses his eyes saying food instead. “Need some applesauce and medicine next?”

“Alright Sprinkles, I think it’s past your bedtime. You don’t make sense when you’re tired,” replies Doph.

Finn’s smile falls off his face.

“Karat,” Doph spells the word for Ben. “You know, like fourteen karat gold? It’s a reference to the way she dresses and how she thinks she’s better than everyone else.”

Ben frowns, “Oh.”

“Am I mistaken, or did you really call her that to her face?” asks Poe. 

“It slipped,” Rey confirms and the guys behind the counter fall over in that mess of a floor it turns into by the end of the night. 

“I just, I can’t!” Finn laughs even harder, unable to make a sound after he barks his last fit. 

Poe tries to climb back up onto the counter as if he’s rock climbing, “Seriously though, we’ll handle everything here, and you go take some time for you, okay? I’ll send Ben over with comfy clothes in about thirty minutes okay? Shower, dry your hair, do all that girly stuff and come back. I’ll tell Jess you’re on your way okay?”

Rey looks up at Ben to see if it’s alright. “Go feel better. I’ll be waiting for you in their lobby if they let me sit there. Take all the time you need,” he offers another peck before he releases her. 

Rey squeezes his hand before she makes it to the coat closet behind their desk, and heads out with a small smile and lingering eyes.


	3. Cloud 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben is literally on cloud nine. He’s sent out on an errand and learns about Jess and her family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading 💖 I’m already working on chapter 4. Hoping to post early next week. All depends on my loony toon’s sleeping schedule.

Ben feels like he’s standing on top of the world, in a movie theater, of all places. Her eyes pin him where he stands, but he doesn’t feel threatened by it like Bazine. No, he reads her carefully. It’s a look of thankfulness and wonder that he’s all too excited to hold onto. Ben’s head turns as she heads to his left, watching her through the large glass panels looking out into the parking lot. He smiles gratefully when she offers a wave back in towards him, standing like the rest of the prairie dogs staring at her as she left. He raises his hand to mimic her like a child, slowly dropping it as she leaves from view. 

“Alright, Ben? Right?” Poe asks for a confirmation on his name. He reaches into his pocket for his wallet while Ben nods. Poe figures the guy needs a little help. Not monetary, of course, as his request would be for himself, but he figures a little hint on Rey could be worth while. 

“There’s a department store called Hera’s, if you go straight out these doors and down to the strip mall on the other side of the lot.” He fishes out a twenty, folding it over to hand to him. 

Ben holds up his hands away from Poe telling him he’s not letting pay for anything supposedly from Ben to Rey. 

“This isn’t for her; it’s for me.” Ben tilts his head, not understanding what Poe’s getting at. “I can’t leave. I need you to go down to Hera’s to get my girl, a heart shaped box of chocolates and a bear or something,” he says. 

“Your girl?” teases Doph, “And who’s that?”

“Jess,” Poe answers quietly. 

Finn throws a towel he’s wiped up the snack counter with at the back of Poe’s head. “She’s not your girl,” he playfully gangs up on Poe. 

Poe’s eyes roll back into his head, pulling the dirty towel off of him. “I got her calling me papi, I’m pretty sure—“

“That you’re dreaming?” Finn pops an M&M into his mouth, smiling as he continues, “She never comes around here. And you almost never take a day off... hardly anything going on there,” Finn presses.

“Listen, help me out alright?” Poe asks sincerely, “I been here since the morning, like Rey.” He frowns, thinking of her and this guy he’s trusting because she likes him. It’s not like Rey’s judgment ever really could be questioned. She knew people. She could read them. All of them. Poe decides to offer information on her, “Rey’s small, but likes large pajamas. Makes her feel safe. She’s into Legos, too. If you can find Lego print, you’ll win her night. She hasn’t had a pair since she was a kid.”

“South Side?” asks Finn.

“Why do you keep calling her that?” Ben asks.

“How do you know all that by the way, Poe? You guys just met literally four months ago,” Finn asks, crossing his arms across his chest. 

“Jess. Jess told me; she’s her sister, right?” Poe replies.

Finn sucks in a shaky breath, asking, “What did she tell you, exactly?”

“Just that Jess’s family adopted her when she was twelve. And she used to get anxious like, all the time, so her parents offered her a box of Legos to calm her down.” He shrugs, “Been hooked since.”

Finn nods and tells Ben to go, “She’ll be out soon.”

With that he takes Poe’s twenty, asking if anyone else wanted anything. To his surprise Finn perks right up asking for a container of rainbow sprinkles, “It’s a red plastic container. Looks like a can of iced tea, but see through,” he gestures with his hands. “And a pint of chocolate chip ice cream.”

“Vanilla or chocolate?” Ben doesn’t question his request, only elaborates on it. 

“Vanilla. Thanks, man.”

“Anything for you?” asks Ben, but Finn doesn’t hear it as a question, spurring on Finn’s playfulness. He folds his hands under his chin like a cherub, teasing him with dreamy eyes. 

“He means me,” Doph swats him with the broom he’s holding. 

“Hey! Stop...” Finn whines.

“Oh don’t be such a baby, sprinkles. I could have used the mop,” Doph goes for the handle, while it sits there in the soapy, dark water in the bucket to the right of him. 

Finn struggles with the right level of concern for this threat, “Don’t. Doph, I swear to—“ 

“Get me some peach rings,” Doph requests. The guys groan promising him he’ll be sitting on the other side of the door. 

“You can’t come in if you eat those,” Finn protests. 

“Get him some skittles, they’re safer.” Poe suggests.

“We have skittles here,” complains Doph.

Ben offers Poe his number, “Call me if his mind changes or you guys can settle on something. I’m running out of time.”

“You got it, buddy.”

——

Jess welcomes Rey in from the cold, rushing around the front desk, and holding her phone in the air like she was chest deep in a swimming pool. “Oh, Rey!“ Jess actually snorts at her wretched smell. 

“Good to see you too,” Rey grins. Her windblown hair is knotted and she’s sure she has garbage juice everywhere.

Jess holds her nose and moves the flowers sent to her from their mother out of range of her sister. 

“You really don’t need to be that dramatic, Jess,” Rey says moving past the front desk to the locker rooms just behind it.

“Honey, yes I do,” she says playfully, “It is a damn miracle that man kissed you.” Jess’s voice sounds nasally, while she speaks still pinching her nose, saying, “You put a skunk to shame, love.”

“You’re one to talk. You eat an ounce of cheese and could wipe out an entire country,” Rey giggles from the locker room.

The main lobby where Rey first arrived is just about as large as their bathroom at home. Open, of course, but only enough room for two chairs along the glass window ledge before the door, and the medium sized white desk that held reminders to bring your own towel and the hot tub is not a toilet, took up the remaining space. Just behind the desk is their walk-in closet sized locker room that expands in width as it finds the bathroom stalls, then the showers, followed by the doorway leading to the pool. On the other side of the locker room, there is a spacious gym, sectioned off by different floor textures. An area for classes runs alongside a glass panel wall that shows cases the pool. Both the back wall and the one opposite the locker room are lined with mirrors, only stopping at the floor’s change. The remaining space, on the grey mat lined floor are elliptical machines, tandem bikes, and treadmills too. None of which Rey ever had time to use. In fact, besides the sauna they had tucked behind a privacy wall in the pool room, she really had no care about the space at all. Tonight though, Rey cannot be more thankful. 

There’s a handful of older women still present as they entertain themselves, bickering as they do. The women towel off from their swim talking amongst themselves as Jess pads to the back of the grey and white room with a bag, and her favorite hair products. 

“Listen,” Jess falls over the shower stall, “The bag is for your clothes. Fill it and kick it under the door.” Jess turns to the sink grabbing her soaps, when she hears Rey rustle with the bag. “Do not throw it over the...” 

The bag flies over the door like Rey’s tossed a water balloon. It flops down on to the white, tiled shower floor with a splat, just missing the puddle left from the women before. 

“Did you just do the opposite—“

“You try stuffing something under the door, there’s only enough room for...that,” she confirms the shampoo and conditioner bottles made it. “Jess?” Rey asks for her attention, “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. I’ll get these going and you can have my towel, or dry off in the sauna. I turned it off but it’s still hot in there. Usually takes a few hours to cool down,” Jessica adds as she walks back into the locker room. “I’ll be in the front if you need me,” she says as her voice carries back to Rey.

Jess pulls out her phone, faintly hearing her sister thank her. She sets up the wash load to handle a quick rinse. Her time on the clock is dwindling, and without another set of clothes for Rey, she knew her uniform needed to be cleaned and dried right away. When the machine started she texted Poe back:

[JESSIKA]  
Thanks for looking out. 

[PAPI]  
Yeah. Yep.  
What are you doing tonight?

Jess smiles at this. Didn’t he remember he asked her out this morning?

[PAPI]  
We’re watching a late show at eleven, if you want to come by? 

[JESSIKA]  
See you then. 

It’s all she thinks about sending before shutting down power to the machines and dimming the pool room. The older women round her desk, saying goodnight as they go. Company policy has her doors open until 10:30pm, and she rolls her eyes at the time. It didn’t matter. There was always some oddball looking to get extra time, even after closing. 

It doesn’t matter much though. It wasn’t like she hasn’t physically dragged anyone out of the building on her own. Instead of bothering with it, she pops her headphones in, preceding to clean up. 

Jess pulls at each window shade, jumping when she sees a giant of a man trying the door handle in front of her. It takes her several moments before she moves to open the door for him, reassuring him that this is a women’s gym—only. 

“I’m Ben?” Ben questions his own name trying to be calm, speaking with Rey’s sister. The last thing he needs is an overprotective family member scaring him off from the woman of his dreams. “I have something for Rey?” Another question seems to come up from him, rather than confidently telling this woman. 

It seems to work. He watches as the girl pulls her earbuds from her ears and stuffs them in her pocket. She studies his face, mostly burning her stare into his big, brown, puppy dog, eyes, searching for any reason not to trust him. After some time, she reaches out her palm, asking for the item. 

Ben hands over a bright red bag, the only size and color he could find. His gift wrapping finesse only went as far as placing the items in the bag. Jess looked curiously inside, and back to him, asking, “How did you know?”

“Um. Poe helped,” he says. Jess takes stock of what’s in the bag expecting him to explain. “Poe said you said she liked big pajamas, and Legos so I did my best to cover that. There’s a long pajama shirt and the graphic T-shirt that went with the pants, and leggings because it’s freezing out.” Ben adds quietly, “I figured she could layer them...co she’s not cold.”

Jess pats his arm, accepting him and his gift, telling him they would be over when the gym closes. “You need anything, send Poe over, or have him call me.”

“Actually, I by any chance, do you have a printer?” Ben asks straight away. 

“Yeah, um, let me log you in. Passwords are on the side there if you get kicked off. Extra paper is in the middle drawer,” Jess informs Ben as she makes her way to the back with the bag.

Ben tenses when he faintly hear the Jess call for Rey. Their conversation echos through the bathroom but then the sound of a heavy door shutting silences it. His mind drifts back to the time expecting the computer to load already. Of all the things, he remembered to bring with him from his car, his phone’s USB cable was not one of them. Instead of a quick procedure, his picture collages had to be printed from emailed . Eventually, Ben’s able to get the images printing, ducking every so often at every giving noise. 

As the last picture prints, Ben shifts in the chair, looking for supplies to help this along. He needs scissors, a pen, and stapler too. Double sided tape would be ideal but not likely in a gym, he’s almost sure of it. Still, it didn’t hurt to look. 

Inside the drawer he found the first three items straight away, next a list of people she is supposed to keep from using the facility. Several older people’s photo, name and age for stealing toilet paper, working out in obscene outfits, and then Bazine. The note left next to her had to do with stalking an an employee, and fighting. He rolls his eyes at this thinking it figures, though, he didn’t actually see her well into the lot trying to strike Rey. If he only knew that happened, he would have been right there with her calling the police. 

Oddly enough as the thought came and went, Ben felt eyes on him. He would pop up every so often, scanning the area, finding nothing. Maybe it was just his nerves and trying to get this little booklet done before Rey came out. That’s it. Yeah. Had to be it. 

Until it wasn’t. 

A line of curses rang out from behind him making Ben freeze. He discarded every last scrap piece of paper in the bin below. He closed down his email, turned off everything, and covered the booklet with his phone, trying to tuck it back into his pocket, as Jessika’s volume pierced through him. He looked around once more, locking eyes with Bazine. That woman does not give up, he thinks. 

She was in their tiny lobby. How long was she standing there? How didn’t he notice?

“You have three seconds to leave before I call the cops, Baz,” Jess warns her lifting the receiver at the desk to Ben’s left. Jess immediately starts dialing the local number as a challenge, stopping four digits in when the cool air from outside catches her attention. 

“What’s wrong with her?” Ben can’t seem to stop himself from asking. 

“She’s trouble. Unlike Rey, we’re blood related—my sister. She’s always had a jealousy streak. I just never thought it would break the family as it did,” she says, putting the phone down. “Don’t worry about her,” she pauses, changing the subject. “Did you get what you needed?”

“Uh, yeah,” Ben manages. He scrunches his face taking in what Jess dumped out. What did she mean? Bazine broke their family? He weighs Poe’s bomb too, and wonders how long this has been going on. “Thank you,” he adds, instead of asking about this. 

“Great. We’ll meet you over there okay?”

“Oh, I told her I would wait for her here,” he says clearing his throat, “I mean, if it’s okay, that is.”

Jess just looks at him curiously. Rey saw something in him, far past a pair of pretty eyes, and it showed. When she nods at him, he watches his whole body relax, as if she had all of the power in that moment. She never really saw that before, not even her friends would back down that easily. Jess chews it over in her mind adding, “She’s almost done, just drying her hair. We’ll be about five minutes more.” 

Five minutes did not feel like five minutes. It felt like an hour or more, but when Rey came out in the pajamas he found for her, he feels his heartbeat hammering in his ears as if she is done up in some elaborate dress. It isn’t just that he picked it out. And it isn’t just because she wore it. It’s just her finally filling his vision again. Being in her presence makes him feel like he’s flying. All of those silly love struck cartoons fill his head in that moment. But when she smiles at him, and thanks him for his thoughtfulness he’s absolutely sure he died. 

“I love them! Thank you, Ben. They’re so soft, and what a sweet idea, to get me leggings that is, for underneath. I wouldn’t even have thought to,” she gushes. He’s almost positive she’s still speaking but hears almost nothing when she presses in for a hug. 

Jess must have seen it. The man is clearly a love struck puppy, and she smiles at the thought. “Come on you two,” she says ushering them out, “It’s time to lock up and go.” Her phone vibrates in her hand, and asks Rey to answer Poe.

“I don’t see Poe in here,” Rey says now filing into the cold, bundled in their jackets. 

“I have him under Papi,” she says while smirks at Rey.

“You don’t really call him that, do you?” Rey asks, uncomfortably. 

“Of course I do,” she laughs looking back at the reply Rey sent. “Makes him happy. And his happiness goes a long way.”


	4. Red Is For Followers

“Did he get them?” asks Doph when he sees Poe come in with bags from Ben’s truck. 

“I didn’t search the bags in his truck you twa—“ he pushes his lips together at the sight of several families leaving the theater. 

The bags swish and bump into his legs as he strides past the snack counter pulling out the snacks to count Ben’s success. Inside one is a large gold heart shaped box with a sticky note on it saying:

“Red is for followers.”

Poe smirks at this while he peels it off. He nods at the contents of his bag seeing a sappy card and envelope, a pink teddy bear holding a flower, and a small box of condoms. “Who is this guy?” Poe quietly mouths to himself. 

Finn helps himself to the other two bags, excited for his treats, laughing terribly when he finds the box of Ding Dongs Doph asked for. 

“Oh my God, he found them!” Finn laughs trying to cover his mouth with his hand. 

“I’m pretty sure everyone knows what sprinkles are, Sprinkles,” Doph calls over his shoulder, shutting down all of the machines.

Finn pulls out the box of individually wrapped cakes saying, “I cannot believe they named a cake a ‘Ding Dong’ and everyone just accepted it.”

“Your name is Finn and we just accepted it,” Doph teases.

“Yes, because Dopheld is a normal name. You’re right there with me, buddy.”

“These aren’t going to make you smell, right?” asks Poe.

Doph grins, teasing them both, “Not any more than I already do.” Doph takes a second and then adds, “it’s not like you guys aren’t the worst offenders, either. So much worse than me. And your cologne is not masking it, Poe.”

“Masking what?” asks Jess, who makes her way up the ramp towards the guys. Both Ben and Rey walk in step behind her, holding hands as they go. 

Poe looks up, frowning at the sight of her holding flowers that were from some unknown source. Obviously not from him, which clearly meant some other guy. He watches as she places the small arrangement on the counter, and picks around for a lotus with a sturdy, clean stem. 

“What are you doing?” he asks, trying desperately hard not to feel any anger towards the cut flowers. 

“My question first, Papi,” she whispers pulling the best one out of the glass. Jess dries the stem with a few napkins and then pulls a couple bobby-pins from her bun letting her fair unravel over her shoulders. 

Jess turns to Rey who tries to keep the delicate flower out of her hair, saying, “Mom sent them to both of us.” She stood with the pink flower’s stem between her teeth, making a thin braid on either side of her ears. A tiny pocket is made for the stem to sit in as Jess overlaps and pins them sturdily together

Ben can really only see Rey; mostly just her face and the excitement and exhaustion wrestling with her features. Poe did say it’s been a long day for both of them.

Poe giggles, still hanging on what Jess referred to him as out in the open. Far past the confines of either of their rooms, and he’s dying to know if anyone else heard her. 

Finn chimes in, saying, “these two have—“ He corrects himself when he sees his buddy’s eyes bulge in desperation to get him to stop talking. “Have been so funny all day today. Night. It’s night time. Yes,” Finn says grabbing his bag of treats and head off to the employee lounge. He knew what going too far would mean for his next shift. No straws. Though, maybe that part of their lives was over. He could hope. 

Jess finishes Rey’s hair, pushing the lotus’ stem down into her braid finally, saying, “Given your outfit, I’d suspect something out of Legos would be better here, but you can be girly and nerdy at the same time.”

“Is that a poppy?” Doph says,trying to prove Jess does not actually call Poe his desired name. 

Jess looks at him curiously, replying, “Poppies aren’t pink. It’s a lotus. Stands for devotion,” she purposely looks at Ben when she explains it. Rey is the most devout person she’s ever known, besides her parents. She would make sure everyone knew it, and anyone looking to be with her, including Ben, would too. In some ways it is to remind newcomers that Rey is willing to trust, that she is more than just some girl. 

“Oh, because I thought you said—“ 

Jess cuts him off, confirming, “Yes, I was referring to mi Papi.”

“Oh my God, Jess, you are so far from being Spanish,” Doph covers his face in embarrassment.

“And?” Jess challenges him. 

“You sound—“

“Beautiful.” Poe shuts him up. “Let’s lock up, and start the movie.” 

As the last guest leaves, Poe locks every door, he stalls the alarm system by four hours, collects and counts the money from each register before locking it up in the chest in the safe for Saturday morning’s bank run. Thanks to Finn and Doph, all that’s left to do is collect sodas for everyone, that he already paid for, and head upstairs to where the pizzas were cooling. 

The employee lounge is pretty much half the size of a theater with far less chairs. The ones that are there look like single couch seats. While the room is smaller, the screen and length of the room seemed to match normal theater rooms. 

“What do you usually use this space for?” Ben asks, truly intrigued. 

“Interviews, training, and sometimes we do this,” says Poe.

“I take it you’re the manager?” Ben asks curiously. 

“For now, while I’m still in school.” Poe shrugs continuing with, “But that doesn’t matter right now. Right now it’s about us,” he gestures over at the group if them, offering plates for pizza. 

Once everyone has their slices, Poe raises his with a cheesy toast, “Big thanks to Rey and Ben for making this possible...here’s to many more dates and happy couple stuff.”

Thanks to that, Rey’s blush crept so far across her face , she actually considered taking off her pajamas as she overheated. That was a no go though. Never in her life, besides that of her adopted family, has she ever experienced so much kindness from a stranger. Ben isn’t strange though. He seems familiar. Like maybe she knew him or someone like him, years ago. Whatever the reason, she wanted to know him. She wanted to before the gifts and his kiss, before his kindness, and more importantly than anything she could allow herself to admit to, he could never just be a number. Not to her. Not ever. 

“Here, here,” she hears him respond to her friends. She mimics the action, tapping his slice with hers as if they were drinks. They could have been drinks, but she didn’t think of it fast enough to change the item she was holding. Her heart lept out of her chest when he stopped to smile at her. He looked genuinely amused that she’d done it, unable to look away, even as the movie started. 

Ben leans down to kiss her temple, assuring her that this has been the best date he’s ever had in his life. 

“Me too,” she offers a peck at the corner of his mouth, nudging him softly to watch the movie. 

Ben can’t settle on the movie for very long. Her friends are far too entertaining, thanking Ben for getting their treats, and throwing them at each other.

“Do not throw the ice cream,” Poe says kicking the back of Finn’s chair. He can’t believe Poe actually had to say it, but they quieted down, finally, getting into watching the movie. 

He learned more about Rey throughout it, more so than about the actual plot on the big screen. Rey doesn’t like the possibility of embarrassment, gore or pain. She hid behind his arm from Doctor Strange being suspended and tortured in the space ship, Star Lord impersonating Thor and seeing Red Skull seemed to bother her. Each time he felt the fabric of his shirt pull against his arm, he’d watch her tuck herself behind him. 

Ben would shelter her from the scary parts, and wrap his arm around her for the rest of the show. A few time he caught himself petting the waist of her fuzzy pajamas with his knuckle but would freeze every time she moved. 

Rey is certainly not a silent viewer, and neither were her friends. The quietest among them was Jess, who actually really tried to ignore them while they watched. Finn and Doph mess with each other constantly. Finn’s best move of the night is stacking popcorn in Doph’s hair, while Doph would retaliate by sticking something into Finn’s ice cream. As soon as it came to sticking his fingers directly into his buddy’s melting treat, Finn jumps up cradling his container.

“We can’t be friends if you do that,” he says moving to the next chair over.

From there on, their commentary dies down, only to allow enough quiet for Rey’s reaction to Gamora’s fall to her death to catch his attention. 

“No. No, no, no, no! Snap your fingers, asshole!” she yells at the movie.

Ben can’t decide if it’s because of the father daughter relationship Thanos pretended to have with Gamora, or if her feelings toward the fictional character was favoritism. As his eyes roam over her features, he thinks he actually sees anger, and the sadness the producer was trying to provoke. 

“Hey,” he whispers, motioning to pull her by his side, “It’s just a movie. Come on,” he guides her to rest her head on his chest. 

Rey feels him rest his cheek at the top of her head, reassuring her that she is alright. She’s not sure if she has ever experienced anything quite like it from a boyfriend figure. Maybe her parents once or twice, but certainly not a man in her life. Rey lets the tear that surfaced during the emotional moment drain into the fabric of his t-shirt. She feels him completely stop moving. Even his breathing halts when the wet spot seeps through his shirt onto his skin.

Part of her is comforted by his response enough to wrap her arm around his torso for the remaining scenes. She knows she looks ridiculous with this person she only met today, but it doesn’t matter. Not to her. 

Ben matters, she decides for the hundredth time in the last few hours.

For the first time in years, Ben identifies with Gamora’s boyfriend, Peter Quill, actually enjoying watching him punch Thanos. He does his best to cover up his frowns and pinched lips, as Peter lands blow after blow, actually imaging himself doing a better job of hitting the purple freak. For a moment, he wonders if Rey is in deeper than getting exceptionally upset at fictional characters, of if this is just how she is with this one. He wonders how far her nerdiness goes, and if she would be the type of girl to enjoy cosplay with him. He could only hope.

His thoughts are interrupted by Doph once more, offering Finn a peace treaty, handing over a bag of his treats. 

“Peace is fine. But if I eat one more gram of sugar, I’m going to need a ride home,” he leans forward as if he’s drunk to say it in Doph’s face. 

“Dude, back up...I can see you just fine back there,” he pats his buddy. 

After the movie, Rey gets up to help clean up and Ben does the same. 

“Nah, you’re good, bro,” Poe says to Ben. “You’ve helped enough, he points at his throat with a smirk when Ben notices.

The room is clean in no time and the group of friends have made it down into the lobby when Ben asks where Rey’s car is. 

“Oh, I usually get a ride from Finn, or walk,” she replies.

“It’s two in the morning. You’re not walking,” he says definitively. “And Finn doesn’t look so good.”

“Please, I’m great!” Finn defends himself.

Ben’s lips tighten in response. “Can I give you a ride?” he asks. Of course he wanted to give her a ride home. Anything to be in her presence for longer. Anything at all. 

“It’s a little ways. I mean, I wouldn’t want to put you out of your way.” Before he can reassure her it’s not, she asks, “Where are you from anyway?”

“Cerea,” Ben answers quietly. It’s an hour and a half out from Takodana, two hours away with traffic. 

Rey’s face falls into a scowl he was sure only villains in movies made. “What?!” Rey yells. “I don’t remotely feel bad for slapping her then,” she mutters right after.

Ben’s eyes widen at the thought. He did not see that; only her tiny form stalking back in from the cold afterward. 

“How long were you talking with her?” Rey asks. It’s really none of her business, but now she’s mad. Collecting data for the next argument, figuring this was far from over. CK would be back. It was only a matter of time. 

“About three months,” he offers. She doesn’t prod him even though she’s sure he knows exactly how long he’s been talking to her.

“And your locations never once came up? The distance? Time? Really?”

“I don’t see how this is really a bad thing,” Poe chimes in. “You wouldn’t have had tonight,” he rattles off everything she’s gotten this evening, while holding Jess’s hand.

“Yes, I. Yes. I’m thankful for it,” she says raising her palm to stop him. “That is not my issue. It bothers me that she’d use him like that, knowing he’s two hours away. And! And,” she turned to Ben asking, “What did you think you were going to do tonight? Drop me off and drive home at two in the morning.”

“I’m out tonight,” Jess raises her and Poe’s clasped hands, “So you have the house tonight...” her smile catches the two off guard making Rey swallow hard before she turns back to Ben. 

“Would that be alright with you? Staying in tonight? At our place?” she asks watching Ben’s face blush rapidly.

His mouth goes dry and for a moment can’t speak. Nodding instead with a few rough bobs, he finally agrees saying, “Yes. That’s very kind of you. I. We. We don’t have to, um... just because I’m there, I mean.”

Rey closes her eyes and shakes her head trying to erase what he just said in front of her friends, as if her head is an echasketch. She even makes the sound as she goes, trying to eliminate it as if it never happened. “Come on, lets go set you up a room,” she says, looping her arm in his to walk out to the car. 

“Actually, it’s freezing. How about I just go get the car and pull around front to pick you up?” Ben shrugs out of her hold. 

“Oh? A...Alright.” She says sounding less like a fighter and more lite the sweet little woman who introduced herself in the first place.

It’s odd to see him dart out into the early morning into the parking lot holding just Poe, Finn and Doph’s vehicles. The three of them dive sedans all varying in color and make. Ben’s figure disappears behind a large black truck and she has to wonder what his need is for such a vehicle. 

Jess pulls her from her thoughts, reminding her that no one goes in dad’s old office, or her room. She mentions the milk is bad in the refrigerator and not to use the coffee machine because BiBi, Jess tabby, sat in the filter.

“And you didn’t wash it?” Rey asks. 

“I don’t remember—there’s a special way to and I don’t know how. So, don’t unless you want cat butt coffee,” her sister smirks. 

“Oookay,” Rey replies. “Thanks for that.”

Jess points back at the door when Ben pulls up. She waves to her friends as Ben makes his way around his truck to open her door. 

Finn and Doph follow her out calling after the two with their newly accepted nickname for him. “What a good PC for SS,” Doph teases. 

Rey turns to look at them while her hand is in his supporting her climb up into his cabin, saying, “Don’t call him a computer.”

The guys double over. Finn taps the roof of his car twice before correcting her. “PC like Prince Charming.”

Rey is sure she felt flush everywhere. The heat is intense enough to almost want to remove her jacket, when she slips, confirming that’s who he is.


	5. Home

“Sorry about my friends,” Rey mutters, as he takes her hand to guide her in. The step is a little higher than a regular level, which is noticeable. Rey wonders what he does to need such a height, or if it’s just a male dominance thing. 

She can’t imagine what he thinks he needs to dominate, he’s huge as it is. Then she remembers how even Finn struggles with his height with his car. Suddenly, it makes more sense. Giant rides are for giant men.

As she sits down in the huge cloth seat, she immediately feels as though she could ball up right there and sleep the night. Maybe she could. Maybe he would let her. It wasn’t like she didnt have her own space but, damn it, a good chair was always something that would pull her back. Rey resists the urge to snuggle in, and glances once more at this handsome guy guiding her in. 

“They’re harmless,” he kindly replies. 

Rey smiles slightly, sitting herself comfortably in the chair and let him continue being the man he wants to be. He smiles just as softly while closing the door, letting her catch a glimpse of her friends being ridiculous in the mirror. She watches as Finn and Doph reenact their sweet little moment as eccentric theater actors would. She rolls her eyes at their nonsense wondering if it bothers Ben, even in the slightest, that her friends are that weird. 

She really could smack them for branding him with his own nickname after just a night of being around. Even then it wasn’t exactly a night. It was more like a few hours of him being nice to her. He didn’t have to. He could have just left. Her mind reels as the memories over the last few hours wash over her again.

Ugh! What a night it was...but then her brain stopped as she took in this beautiful man climbing in to his seat, gripping the wheel to slide in comfortably. Rey’s certainly grateful that he brings in a breeze, despite the frigid temperatures. Her body heats rapidly as she accepts that this is not, in fact, a lovely dream. Ben sits, shakes his head a little, throwing back the strands of his hair that managed to drape over his face with all the fussing over her. She finds him strikingly handsome, committing the sight of him to memory. It only seems fair. No one that handsome was in her circle, or could even be considered a Takodana resident. She lived there for half her life already, and is pretty sure she knows everyone in town. 

No...no one looked like Ben. 

She thought about how he drove practically two hours to see CK, and for all of this shit to happen to him...well, it’s not all bad... she reminded herself. Rey has been on a kick for a while to remind herself that she isn’t worthless. That she isn’t garbage. That what happened, happens to people. It isn’t just her. It isn’t because she’s worthless. It just happens. 

“So?” She hears him ask his lingering question.

“So?” she mimics softly. Suddenly, her mouth seems drier than the drier sheets she reused this morning. Rey desperately tries to find any surface in her mouth to lick up any remaining saliva to coat her tongue with.

“Where would you like to go?” he asks.

Rey just stares at him wondering what to say, still working on her mouth’s dilemma. “Where? Oh...” she’s thankful for then darkness of his cabin. Oh yes, go... they were supposed to go somewhere. Where was that? Her brow furrows as the last thing she can remember hearing was ‘cat butt coffee’. “Oh! My place...Right.” Rey covers her face with both hands trying to hide how flustered she is. 

“I don’t have to stay. I’m sure there’s a motel—“

“No! No, Ben. Are you kidding me right now? That’s ridiculous, and we have the space. It’s fine, really.” Rey says, proceeding to give directions back to Jessika’s house. 

She would consider it hers too if she was blood related, but she simply couldn’t quite get there yet. Her adopted parents were good to her...are good to her, well her... adopted mother unit is. For years she tries calling her by her last name, Mrs. Pava, being corrected each time to call her mom. But Rey always had a problem with that. Calling her mom is disrespectful in Rey’s eyes. She can’t help but explain time and again that they’re more than her mother ever was, and that branding them as mother and father figures, meant branding them with every missed opportunity since her abandonment. It didn’t seem fair.

In the time to come, Mrs. Pava’s husband grew sick. He experienced memory loss and eventually was set up in a home across town where he had his own nursing staff that helped him with his Alzheimer’s disease. All they could do, really, was give him the supervision and medication he needed throughout the day. 

The man was always positive. He used the house that the couple left his girls in his living will, as a temple of sorts. He loved finding his place of zen. It was all he wanted to do for years. Meditate, and teach his children all he knew about cause and effect, action and reaction, and the peace that they can achieve by letting it all go

The place was offered first to Rey, which made her exceedingly uncomfortable. She didn’t know this family her whole life, thinking, surely someone else deserved this gift more than her. Jessika stepped in at the time, claiming it only until Rey was ready, so she could take the burden of the mortgage payment off of her mother.

Surely she would eventually take it and Rey would have to find a new place, as she always had. But Jessika never motioned to evict her sister. It was nice. Actually comforting to know that she had her back. 

When they arrived, she watches him curiously as his eyebrows lift. “This is where you live?”

“It’s where we live, my sister and I. Yes?”

“It’s nice.” 

As he pulls in she makes sure to tell him to pull under the stilted deck. “It helps protect it against extra freezing. Out here, you can get a sheet of ice overnight. Sometimes, I’ve seen it entire inches thick. It’s a wonder to me that creatures can even live out here in the winter.”

Rey looks up at Ben’s eyes that seem to be widening as she catches him staring. For a moment she can’t remember what she said, wondering if she said something bad? Maybe it was the weather, or that he really didn’t enjoy the subzero temperatures that she spoke of...whatever the case, she invites him inside. 

When she goes to reach for the handle, he jumps a little, remembering that should be his job. He needed this. He wanted her smile... and he got one when he did it last time... so he needed to do it again this time. 

He hurries around the truck yet again seizing the opportunity to reach for her. If he though helping her into the truck was wonderful...helping her down is divine. She squeezes his outstretched hand tightly, bracing herself with her other hand on his shoulder. Ben could die a happy man right now just knowing he did something to make her find comfort in him. He’s all goofy smiles when she stays close, allowing this moment to hang between them. 

“Thank you,” Rey breathes, a puff of whitening ice crystals that she notices looms around his face. It brings her back to the present, reminding herself that she really did need to get inside. 

“Come on,” she suggests, hooking her arm in his. Rey uses a grey device that looks as though it’s as big as her thumb to open the door. A tiny light glows green and unlocks the deadbolt to allow them inside.

“That’s different.” Ben says, truly interested in why she uses such a device rather than regular keys. 

“Yeah,” Rey agrees. “This place isn’t really a house. I mean it looks like a log cabin from the outside, but Mr. Pava used it as a school of sorts.”

“Mr. Pava?” Ben can’t help his curiosity.

“Oh...right...” Rey starts to mumble. “We’ll, I guess it’s better out now than later...”

“You don’t have to tell me, Rey.”

“But I should. And it’s something I’ve had to kind of figure out how to get along with. Mr. and Mrs. Pava adopted me when I was younger, and I’ve always had trouble calling them: Mom and Dad.”

With that she felt him hold her hand a little tighter asking, “Do you question it?”

“Question what?”

“Their love for you?”

“At first. I mean... it was definitely on me. They never really showed any indication that they didn’t...” Rey trails.

“Well, then, you’ll know when it’s right to call them as they’ve asked.”

“What do you mean by that?” Rey leans toward the wall to flip the switch for the main light to come on. 

“I’ve gone through that, too.” His features remained soft as if he was looking back into his memories. “My parents were good people. They did so much for everyone.” Ben looks as if he’s chewing on the inside of his cheek, battling with himself about whether or not to continue.”I was just a boy when I lost them. But one day, I was adopted by this older woman,” he smiles at the memory, “and she happened to be dating my uncle, which I mean, what are the odds?”

Rey cannot believe that this. She stands still, looking at him curiously. “Did you have to call your uncle, Dad?”

“Oh no—no but the woman didn’t particularly like being called by her first name. She couldn’t have kids naturally, so even though she wasn’t my biological mother, I still called her mom.” She watches as Ben nods to himself, a quick smile turns up his lips as if he’s trying to hide emotional pain. “She, uh— she started to cry when I first said it. She said I didn’t have to and knew that I had a bond with my real parents that couldn’t be broken... but, the thing is, she doesn’t have to be blood to be a mother. Same with a father,” Ben snorts at this, “doesn’t really work for an uncle, though. But there’s security of family with that, too.”

It wasn’t really a concept that Rey understood until now. Ben opened her eyes to understand why people adopt kids in the first place. She knew Mr. and Mrs. Pava loved her. They showed it better than anyone ever did, but the thought remained in her mind over the years. She didn’t want them to be her parents. If she let them in, she was sure they’d leave, just like her parents did. But Rey’s been with their family for fourteen years now, without a single shred of noticeable regret. In fact, besides Mr. Pava’s struggle with Alzheimer’s, Mrs. Pava has been nothing short of amazing. 

“That’s quite a way to look at it, Ben.” Rey can’t help but pause at the door, looking up into his eyes. Even though they’re dark, she feels as though she could look forever. There’s a warmth there, that she’s dying to get lost in. If this man could love a stranger—let them into his life as he did, could he do it again with her? Her lips part as she thinks about finding comfort in the beautiful stranger. 

Ben stands comfortably still, even though the cold is taking over his body. The only break in the heat of her stare is another magical breath leaving her lips as it takes form around her. 

“Um, let’s um... let’s go inside. C’mon,” she says, nodding towards the door. As she turned from him, she felt as though she missed an opportunity. She could have kissed him, she’s sure of it, but in her hesitation, she failed. Her body screams at her as she moves to unlock the heavy screen door. 

Sometimes she wonders why Jessica even does that, but it’s not worth bringing up. He won’t understand, or have anything to add to it, so she presses on to the basement door instead. Rey leans her body forward while she’s trying desperately hard to keep her cat from running out, especially i this weather. 

“I don’t know where he is, just be careful you don’t let my cat out when you come in,” Rey’s body tenses when she hears a meow. 

Ben watches as her eyes look around to find the cats’ sounds. Her shoulders slump, relaxing now knowing his location. 

“Never mind, he’s upstairs,” she shrugs holding the door open a little further for him. 

The basement houses unfinished rooms, with a clear idea of a layout in the area. There are space heaters positioned in the three sections he can see, all off of course. There’s a ski hockey table off to one side, and what he thinks is a toilet behind a curtain in the furthest part of the basement. As they go in, she shows him to a flight of stairs which he’s happy to see is far more structurally sound. Although, he can’t help himself when he tests his weight on the first two steps behind her before proceeding up the stairs to where she is. There’s another door at the top landing which needs to be unlocked, and she does the same move with her body to keep her cat away from that door as well. 

When they finally make it into her place, he’s pleasantly surprised. Not even his place made him feel small. Being so tall, every place he ever had felt like a shoebox compared to Rey’s place. 

Besides the eight foot ceiling just above his head that looked like it might serve as some pathway— hall he corrects himself, the house opens up to a space he can only assume is their living area that extends an entire floor up to the roof. There are skylight rectangles set in a row. Four of them to be exact, all a foot or two apart from each other. The color of the room is some natural blend of cream or tan? Maybe it’s beige, he wonders. Either way it’s light enough to see with the hall lights on. 

She warns him before she flicks on the light saying, “There’s no cover, yet. But I’m working on it.” 

When it’s on he’s sure he’s burned his retinas. The chandelier, if he were to guess it was, is a large round ball of light suspended by a thick silver rod hanging from the vaulted ceiling. 

“Ben,” she whines his name. Just the sound of it makes him stifle a groan. 

“Don’t look at it... it’s the only one down here.” She guides him to the stairs figuring she could talk more about her project some other time. 

“So you’ve seen my job, and met my wacky friends. What do you do for work?”

“I’m a set model designer. I basically come up with the landscape—whatever it is— and create the world filmmakers use to create scenes for their movies.”

He feels Rey’s small hand at his shoulder and then she’s pushed him. It’s a little harder than a tap and he sways towards the wall. 

“No way! That must be a dream job!” She adds as they reach the second floor. Rey points to the right of them, “There’s a bathroom here, on the other side of that is Jess’s room. Don’t go in there. She’ll be mad. Over here is my room.”

He notices one huge thing missing from it: the wall. Instead there’s a railing. For a brief second he’s hoping she adds something about the availability of a couch downstairs... where he won’t fall. But she seems to notice.

“This use to be Mr. Pava’s office,” she waves over her room. “If you can imagine it, downstairs was his meditation space. He used to teach people to be calm and meditate. The whole floor was a sandbox he liked to rake. And there was a stone that he sat on in the middle. I still don’t know how he got on it without making foot prints.” 

She points to the wall of windows across from her, “That was never there. It was a wall of glass bricks like you see in old pool rooms. There used to be a water feature there that rained down the face of it like a waterfall into a small basin he made look like a pond. In it he kept three koi fish that represented: past, present and future. In all of his teachings, he’s say you couldn’t have one without the others.” She smiled sadly, “I never really understood what that meant until he got sick.”

“What happened to him?” Ben asks carefully. 

“He started forgetting things and blamed it on old age. It steadily got worse and they classified it as Alzheimer’s. Mr. and Mrs. Pava had a living will apparently and tried to give me the property... but it felt wrong?” Her voice pitches when she says it pushing her statement further into a question. He watches her shrug her shoulders, adding, “I’m sure you can guess why. So, Jess said she’d live with me. It’s under her name and all. We’ve been trying to renovate it so it’s livable but there’s still a lot to do.” 

Rey feels like she’s rambling but when she looks back up at Ben, his eyes seem transfixed on her. She feels like the only person that matters, not like there’s anyone else in the house, but it’s certainly nice at any rate. She swallows hard and offers one of the features they installed over the summer, a sliding door that tucked far into Jess’s wall through the bathroom. 

When she’s done she looks up at him to check his comfort. Not only did it dim the sun, but she feels as though it’s somehow comforted him having it closed. 

“Do you usually sleep with that open?” he’s genuinely curious.

“Yeah.”

“You’ve never fallen over it?”

Rey tries to stifle a laugh, replying, “No. I used to sleep next to it. I was afraid of the bed for a long time.”

Ben frowns at this but before he can get a word in, she tells him. 

“Kids are mean. Most kids. Adults too. I made the mistake of telling one I was afraid of the dark. They’d lay under my bed and grab my ankles at night.” Rey pauses as she feels Ben reach around her for a hug. “Finn calls me South Side because I’d run away all the way to Jakku City’s South Side. The lights are always on, and some of the warmest places I’ve slept were also the brightest.”

“And where was that?” He hoped someone took her in or that’s how she met the Pava’s. He hoped she went to the police station, anywhere, but not the place she admits to. 

“On the electronic billboards that’s sat on top of buildings. Those things can burn you if you’re not careful.”

Ben can barely see even though his eyes are open. She just dumped a ton of information on him and he can’t help but wonder how much more there is. Hopefully that’s it. No more. But then he wants to snap the necks of the people who scared her enough to chose that life. 

“Is it too dark in here for you?”

“A little, but I’m going to sleep—“

“Stay with me? I’ll—I’ll protect you and you can make sure I don’t fall over that... open it to your heart’s content. I just... Please let me have the chance to make this right.”

“You did nothing wrong,” she frowns trying to understand him. 

“I didn’t, but whoever they were, did. And I want to erase it. I want to give you what you gave me.”

Her eyebrows lift when she asks curiously, “And what’s that? What did I give you?”

Ben answers with a cautiousness about him, replying, “Hope.”


End file.
